IP Library Granted Patent US 9,734,815
Granted Patent B2
US 9,734,815 · App. 14/830,765 · Granted Aug 15, 2017

Pillow set with snoring noise cancellation

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,734,815
App. No.
14/830,765
Granted
Aug 15, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Active noise control systems, devices, and methods are disclosed herein. Anti-snoring systems can include a first pillow unit having at least one error microphone and at least one speaker, at least one reference microphone configured to capture sound produced proximate to the at least one reference microphone, and a control unit operatively coupled to the first pillow unit and the at least one reference microphone. In some aspects, the control unit can be configured to produce an anti-noise in the at least one speaker disposed in the first pillow unit by processing signals received from the at least one error microphone and the at least one reference microphone using gated dynamic adjustments such that the anti-noise cancels any sound produced proximate the at least one reference.

Claims (29)

1. An anti-snoring system, comprising:

a first pillow unit comprising at least one error microphone and at least one speaker;

a second pillow unit comprising at least one error microphone and at least one speaker;

at least one reference microphone configured to capture sound produced proximate to at least one of the first pillow unit and the second pillow unit;

a control unit operatively coupled to the first pillow unit, second pillow unit, and the at least one reference microphone such that it receives signals from the at least one error microphone in the first pillow unit, the at least one error microphone in the second pillow unit, and the at least one reference microphone, and

the control unit being configured to produce an anti-noise in the at least one speaker disposed in the first pillow unit by processing the signals received from the at least one error microphone in the first pillow unit and the at least one reference microphone such that the anti-noise cancels any sound produced proximate the at least one reference microphone.

2. The anti-snoring system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to produce an anti-noise in the at least one speaker disposed in the second pillow unit by processing the signals received from the at least one error microphone in the second pillow unit and the at least one reference microphone using gated dynamic adjustments such that the anti-noise cancels any sound produced proximate the at least one reference microphone.

3. The anti-snoring system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit processes the signals using gated dynamic adjustments.

4. The anti-snoring system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit further processes the signals using primary path training.

5. The anti-snoring system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit further processes the signals using ultrasonic primary path training.

6. The anti-snoring system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit further processes the signals using adaptive step size filtering.

7. The anti-snoring system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit further processes the signals using automatic gain control.

8. The anti-snoring system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit further processes the signals using auxiliary supplemental audio.

9. The anti-snoring system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit further processes the signals using sleep analysis.

10. The anti-snoring system of claim 1 , wherein processing the signals received from the at least one error microphone in the first pillow unit and the at least one reference microphone further comprises using at least one of primary path training, ultrasonic primary path training, adaptive step size filtering, automatic gain control, auxiliary supplemental audio, and sleep analysis.

11. The anti-snoring system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one reference microphone is disposed in at least one of the first pillow unit and the second pillow unit.

12. The anti-snoring system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is disposed within the first pillow unit or second pillow unit.

13. The anti-snoring system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is a smart phone, watch, body-worn computer, pad device, tablet device, or any other self-contained computer processing device on which software can be loaded and executed.

14. The anti-snoring system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one error microphone in a first pillow unit can also be used as the at least one reference microphone for generating the anti-noise signal that is produced by the least one speaker in a second pillow unit.

15. The anti-snoring system of claim 14 , wherein multiple error microphones are used in a first pillow unit and the signals from each of the multiple error microphones are analyzed to determine which one is best suited to use as the reference signal on which the generated anti-noise that is to be produced by the at least one speaker in the second pillow unit should be based.

16. A method of canceling snoring, comprising:

sensing a reference noise with a reference microphone and outputting a reference noise signal to a control unit;

sensing an error noise level with an error microphone that is disposed proximate a user's ear and outputting an error noise signal to the control unit;

determining an anti-noise to cancel the reference noise by processing the reference noise signal and the error noise signal using gated dynamic adjustments; and

producing the anti-noise using at least one speaker that is proximate the user's ear such that the reference noise is cancelled.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein determining an anti-noise to cancel the reference noise by processing the reference noise signal further comprises utilizing at least one of primary path training, ultrasonic primary path training, adaptive step size filtering, automatic gain control, auxiliary supplemental audio, and sleep analysis.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the primary path training includes transmitting an ultrasonic signal between a speaker disposed near the reference source and the error microphone that is disposed proximate the user's ear.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the reference noise is a snoring sound.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the control unit is wirelessly coupled to at least one of the reference microphone, the error microphone, and the at least one speaker.

Assignments (16)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 2, 2024
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION; NATIONAL BEDDING COMPANY, L.L.C.; SERTA SIMMONS BEDDING, LLC; SSB MANUFACTURING COMPANY; TOMORROW SLEEP LLC; TUFT & NEEDLE, LLC; DREAMWELL, LTD.
To: ECLIPSE BUSINESS CAPITAL LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 068325/0886 →
TERM LOAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 10, 2024
From: DREAMWELL, LTD.; NATIONAL BEDDING COMPANY, L.L.C.; SERTA SIMMONS BEDDING, LLC; SSB MANUFACTURING COMPANY; TOMORROW SLEEP LLC; TUFT & NEEDLE, LLC
To: WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB
Reel/Frame 067379/0782 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 3, 2023
From: DREAMWELL, LTD.; TUFT & NEEDLE, LLC; SERTA SIMMONS BEDDING, LLC; NATIONAL BEDDING COMPANY, L.L.C.; TOMORROW SLEEP LLC
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 064193/0668 →
RELEASE OF FIRST LIEN SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Jun 30, 2023
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: DREAMWELL, LTD.; SSB MANUFACTURING COMPANY; NATIONAL BEDDING COMPANY, L.L.C.
Reel/Frame 064185/0293 →
RELEASE OF SUPER-PRIORITY SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Jun 30, 2023
From: WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: DREAMWELL, LTD.; SSB MANUFACTURING COMPANY; NATIONAL BEDDING COMPANY, L.L.C.; SERTA SIMMONS BEDDING, LLC; TUFT & NEEDLE, LLC; TOMORROW SLEEP LLC
Reel/Frame 064185/0479 →
RELEASE OF FIRST LIEN SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY Recorded Jun 30, 2023
From: ECLIPSE BUSINESS CAPITAL LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: DREAMWELL, LTD.; SSB MANUFACTURING COMPANY; NATIONAL BEDDING COMPANY L.L.C.; SERTA SIMMONS BEDDING, LLC; TUFT & NEEDLE, LLC; TOMORROW SLEEP LLC
Reel/Frame 064185/0236 →
TERM LOAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 30, 2023
From: DREAMWELL, LTD.; TUFT & NEEDLE, LLC; SERTA SIMMONS BEDDING, LLC; NATIONAL BEDDING COMPANY, L.L.C.; TOMORROW SLEEP LLC; SSB MANUFACTURING COMPANY
To: WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 064185/0583 →
NOTICE OF AGENCY RESIGNATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF SUPER-PRIORITY TERM LOAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 6, 2023
From: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS THE RESIGNING ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, AS SUCCESSOR ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 063272/0391 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 31, 2023
From: DREAMWELL, LTD.; SSB MANUFACTURING; NATIONAL BEDDING; SERTA SIMMONS BEDDING, LLC; TUFT & NEEDLE, LLC; TOMORROW SLEEP LLC
To: ECLIPSE BUSINESS CAPITAL LLC
Reel/Frame 062571/0391 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 27, 2023
From: DREAMWELL, LTD.; SSB MANUFACTURING; NATIONAL BEDDING; SERTA SIMMONS BEDDING, LLC; TUFT & NEEDLE, LLC; TOMORROW SLEEP LLC
To: ECLIPSE BUSINESS CAPITAL LLC
Reel/Frame 062525/0458 →
RELEASE OF SECOND LIEN SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RECORDED AT R/F 040813/1075 Recorded May 10, 2022
From: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: DREAMWELL, LTD.
Reel/Frame 059925/0322 →
SUPER-PRIORITY TERM LOAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 24, 2020
From: DREAMWELL, LTD.
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 053022/0029 →
SECOND LIEN TERM LOAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 5, 2016
From: DREAMWELL, LTD.
To: GOLDMAN SACHS BANK USA, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 040813/0175 →
ABL INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 5, 2016
From: DREAMWELL, LTD.
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 040813/0213 →
FIRST LIEN TERM LOAN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 5, 2016
From: DREAMWELL, LTD.
To: UBS AG, STAMFORD BRANCH, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 040813/0136 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 20, 2015
From: DEFRANKS, MICHAEL S.; HUGHES, CHARLES E., II; RUBIN, STUART F.
To: DREAMWELL, LTD
Reel/Frame 036375/0373 →